Corona starter, PRO or cloud?

[donovanamiga]

Hi corona developers.

I am new and trying to decide which corona to choose from, out of corona starter, corona PRO and corona cloud, although I can’t really understand how cloud is different from starter and pro because I can only find news articles and nothing on the site about it. The articles are recent and it sounded like it wasn’t released yet, so has it been released now?

If I use corona starter can I use plugins? What plugins do corona starter users get?

Can I write plugins in corona PRO, or do I need enterprise? (I can’t write them but I know people who could for me.)

Can you do procedural textures like in the game Tiny Penguin?

Also does PRO come with graphics 2.0?

Thank you for answering my questions.
 

[cozymonster29]

1. I got an email that Corona is slowly breaking down Cloud, and therefore you probably don’t want that anymore. Starter is good enough for basic programmers, unless you’ve had any experience with coding. When you’re more used to it you may want to buy Pro.

2. Corona starter offers App Monetization plugins - adding ads to your game, etc.

[rob]

Hi  @donovanamiga

First, Corona Cloud was a separate service that would allow Corona SDK apps (regardless of Starter/Pro/Enterprise) the ability to do multi-player games.  We are not continuing that service.  Now for your questions:

If I use corona starter can I use plugins? What plugins do corona starter users get?
Right now, with the current public build (1137), you have access to the advertiser plugins.  When the next daily build comes out, some additional plugins like Google Play Game Services will be added to the mix and maybe a few more.

Can I write plugins in corona PRO, or do I need enterprise? (I can’t write them but I know people who could for me.)
If we talk about the idea that a plugin uses some native (Objective C/Java based) SDK/Library, then only Enterprise can build plugins.  Pro does not have access to compile in native libraries/SDKs. 

Can you do procedural textures like in the game Tiny Penguin?
If I’m thinking of the same Tiny Penguin that you are, it was done in Corona SDK.

Also does PRO come with graphics 2.0?

Pro will support Graphics 2.0 when it comes out. 

[cozymonster29]

1. I got an email that Corona is slowly breaking down Cloud, and therefore you probably don’t want that anymore. Starter is good enough for basic programmers, unless you’ve had any experience with coding. When you’re more used to it you may want to buy Pro.

2. Corona starter offers App Monetization plugins - adding ads to your game, etc.

[rob]

Hi  @donovanamiga

First, Corona Cloud was a separate service that would allow Corona SDK apps (regardless of Starter/Pro/Enterprise) the ability to do multi-player games.  We are not continuing that service.  Now for your questions:

If I use corona starter can I use plugins? What plugins do corona starter users get?
Right now, with the current public build (1137), you have access to the advertiser plugins.  When the next daily build comes out, some additional plugins like Google Play Game Services will be added to the mix and maybe a few more.

Can I write plugins in corona PRO, or do I need enterprise? (I can’t write them but I know people who could for me.)
If we talk about the idea that a plugin uses some native (Objective C/Java based) SDK/Library, then only Enterprise can build plugins.  Pro does not have access to compile in native libraries/SDKs. 

Can you do procedural textures like in the game Tiny Penguin?
If I’m thinking of the same Tiny Penguin that you are, it was done in Corona SDK.

Also does PRO come with graphics 2.0?

Pro will support Graphics 2.0 when it comes out. 

[cpas1]

Hi, also new to Corona.

Looking at the pricing chart (http://www.coronalabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corona_Pricing_Chart2.jpg), I see that the basic corona package does not support “native APIs”.

Does this include the ability to bring up email and sms, like in this article? (http://www.coronalabs.com/blog/2012/01/03/composing-email-and-sms-in-corona/)

thanks.

[rob]

Hello @cpas1!

Welcome to Corona SDK.

The term “native” there is a little confusing.  Corona SDK Starter and Pro have access to everything listed in the documentation under the native.* APIs.  This includes, native.showAlert, native.newInputText, native.newWebView, native.showPopup (which includes sending SMS, Email, Twitter, AppRating and app store links and more).

What is not included is the ability to compile in “Native” SDK’s, like things you would compile in using Objective C for iOS or Java for Android.  In other words, if “SuperDuperMakeMoney” announces an SDK for iOS and Android that you compile into your Natrive app, you would need the Enterprise edition to do that, unless of course SuperduperMakeMoney decides to build a Corona SDK Plugin. 

Hope that helps!

Rob

[cpas1]

Yes thanks, very helpful.

[cpas1]

Hi, also new to Corona.

Looking at the pricing chart (http://www.coronalabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corona_Pricing_Chart2.jpg), I see that the basic corona package does not support “native APIs”.

Does this include the ability to bring up email and sms, like in this article? (http://www.coronalabs.com/blog/2012/01/03/composing-email-and-sms-in-corona/)

thanks.

[rob]

Hello @cpas1!

Welcome to Corona SDK.

The term “native” there is a little confusing.  Corona SDK Starter and Pro have access to everything listed in the documentation under the native.* APIs.  This includes, native.showAlert, native.newInputText, native.newWebView, native.showPopup (which includes sending SMS, Email, Twitter, AppRating and app store links and more).

What is not included is the ability to compile in “Native” SDK’s, like things you would compile in using Objective C for iOS or Java for Android.  In other words, if “SuperDuperMakeMoney” announces an SDK for iOS and Android that you compile into your Natrive app, you would need the Enterprise edition to do that, unless of course SuperduperMakeMoney decides to build a Corona SDK Plugin. 

Hope that helps!

Rob

[cpas1]

Yes thanks, very helpful.